Apria Healthcare Delivers Secure Health Solutions with Absolute Secure Endpoint
Apria Healthcare provides at-home clinical services to its patients across the United States. Employing more than 8,000 healthcare providers, Apria is at the forefront of a growing movement to take healthcare out of hospitals and into the homes of patients.
Supporting a Distributed Workforce Without Compromising on Security
Supporting a distributed workforce comes with its own security responsibilities—something Apria Healthcare knows well. Most of Apria’s team members are geographically dispersed, using laptops and other mobile devices. While this provides efficiencies and allows Apria to provide the highest level of in-home healthcare services, it also creates potential vulnerabilities.
The IT team recognized that precautionary security measures were required. Specifically, they wanted a solution that could mitigate the potential risk of exposed data, extend their visibility to include remote devices, and protect the personal health information of patients to avoid a healthcare data breach.
Persistence [located] in the BIOS was the number one item that I think really sets Absolute apart from other companies touting that they can do asset tracking better.
How They Did It
Providing Visibility Across the Device Fleet
Apria selected Absolute Secure Endpoint to solve its endpoint security challenges. The reliable two-way connection to each device provided value to the organization right away. Once Absolute Secure Endpoint was activated, the IT team had visibility across all of their devices. “Each of our devices is tied to an individual,” said Janet Hunt, Senior Director, IT Quality and Support Services, at Apria. “With Absolute Secure Endpoint, we can establish groups that we categorize by employee, location, and function.”
Consistently Delivering High Level of Security
To consistently deliver a high level of security, new devices are activated at the factory before they are shipped. “When we purchase new hardware through our vendor, the first thing we do is load Absolute Secure Endpoint onto the devices,” said Ms. Hunt. “If any details change, like a username or location, we receive an alert so we can investigate further and take prompt action by either freezing or wiping the device as required.”
Keeping in Compliance with HIPAA
Apria is now confident in its ability to see and control all of its devices and secure sensitive information, keeping them in compliance with HIPAA and other health regulations. They can track and report on inventory, device location, and usage—no matter where the device is located.
Absolute Secure Endpoint is the number one priority for our CIO. I can’t verbalize how important this is to my company and how much more effective we’ve become at securing our healthcare data.
Improving Patient Care While Maintaining Security and Compliance
Absolute Secure Endpoint also supports Apria's adoption of new technology in its ongoing effort to improve the way they serve its patients. The company recently deployed Microsoft Surface tablets to their respiratory therapists. Through these devices, therapists can access critical patient data remotely for a faster cycle of care. "Absolute helps us retain our position as a leader in the marketplace, rather than a follower."
For Apria, Absolute Secure Endpoint:
- Provides improved visibility of all of its endpoints
- Allows Apria to confidently track and report on inventory, device location, and activity
- Aids achievement of HIPAA compliance by mitigating the risk of exposed data
